Artist of the Week

Artist: Ella Marjorie BettsArtform: Dancers

What do you do and what are your main focuses?I am a dancer, I trained primarily in classical ballet and contemporary, however I embrace all styles of dance. I also have now begun to teach alongside my dancing.

Where have you studied?I began my training in Australia as Susan Shiner Dance Academy, before starting my full time training at the Australia International Ballet Academy, run through the McDonald College in Sydney. I then moved to New York to start as a Trainee with the Ajkun Ballet Theatre.

Tell us a bit about yourself!I have loved performing as a dancer with the London Ballet Company, and enjoyed dancing in the various styles and shows. I haven't any personal work at the moment but am constantly choreographing for students and my classes. I am also a qualified yoga teacher and love teaching yoga classes to a range of clientele.

Why do you dance?I dance as it is a way of life, to be a dancer is a gift and I'm so grateful my parents allowed me to follow my childhood hobby, it's definitely a wonderful way to express yourself and be someone else (by playing different characters). It transcends you from everyday life to a place that isn't real and through the body and movement you can tell a story. I believe I also dance as it is a great way to keep a positive mind and it instills discipline, focus and healthy habits into my life. ​

What are you influenced by?I'm influenced by many things, inspiration is everywhere. I think if I had to pick one main influence, it would be the people around me - the dancers who you work with are always changing and they always bring new fresh ideas and views, gathering as much knowledge as possible and seeing what works is what I try my best to do.

What motivates you?I think the feeling you have when you are performing is the best motivation, being on stage with your fellow dancers is really special, this definitely motivates me.

What are you afraid of?I’m definitely afraid of not doing as much as I can! I would never want to look back on my life and wish I had taken more chances, especially when it comes to dancing.

What is more important, talent or hard work?I think personally hard work is more important than talent, but this truly depends on where you want to be in your field. Without some natural talent some work and roles are not possible (mainly referring to ballet). The harsh reality is that there are some aspects of this field that require both hard work and talent to reach a level that is required. In saying this I do personally believe with hard work you will be the best you can be, and if you focus and dedicate yourself enough you can find something that is suited to you and your skill level. At the end of the day we do this job for the satisfaction and joy that is brings and you can find that in a job if you work hard enough and don't give up.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to become a dancer?I think something I wish I had listened to when I was training and younger is to not compare yourself to harshly to others around you, you can change yourself absolutely but you can not transform yourself to be somebody else. The sooner you embrace yourself the good and the not so good the faster you can improve and change into your best possible self. Negative thoughts do truly have the power to stop you from reaching your potential they create a wall between you and your possibly future.